In the Name of Liberty

gabled window that broke through the crust of the roofs, the figure of a young girl, who, after a glance down at t

nced herself in the window, running her hands with indolent movements through the meshes as though reluctant to leave the flash and play of the sun amid its lusters.

he poise of her head and in the subtile smile, full of grace and piquancy,

htful face of Barabant. Unaware of her proximity, he swept the courtyard with an indifferent look, a

utiously, as though awaiting a challenge. Then, as in the abstraction of his

at the next he lapsed into laughter. As human nature cannot endure in silence the spectacle of someone laughing to himself,

are you going

ch he had been regarding meditatively slipped from his fingers, bounded

here goes

id, repressing her la

ne for dinner, and one for som

n, three are

lf up proudly. "Ple

r banker

act

your dinner: a bad beginni

ène Barabant

col

col

e is all we need; besides, it would ta

ectedly that Barabant, forgetting the

ole. And what do you do-if

hesitancy, but laughed with

etière. Which reminds me, I mu

ered a moment. "A

of his hand, and then exploded in laughter a

pe

ever fas

eds of

al in sight, when is th

day; something may h

made a

, how much

up the t

peak of buying a mea

t admitted, "meal

You have the right spirit. I have made you lose one dinner; it is

how of pride, liking it, but trusting in the bloom and charm of her youth to defeat it. She did not tru

ed, "I accept

sted, well pleased with her victory. "If you think dinne

case, I

o'clock, Place de la Rép

there an h

entered. The bed was vacant, undisturbed. Without surprise, and with even a certain satisfaction at being free

e first exchange of glances feels her power. He had shown his admiration without timidity, which would have been vexatious, or forwardness, which would have been unendurable. She liked his show of

led to run the fire of banter. She bore the ordeal with equanimity, hurryi

copé. There, mounted on a chair, a short, roly-poly ragamuffin, with bloated, pouter cheeks and squinting, almond eyes, was reading the morning

y to where a gruff, gaunt man, sunk in a capacious redin

d, slipping into a waiting seat. "Her

used himself from his attitude of whimsical inspection, turning to

d, showing him her

ac, scornfully. His bushy eyebrows and looming beak seeme

ding ignorance to plague h

or, old as I am, so h

he said, enjoying his wrath. "As

ow what

ed. "What a pity! Why couldn't he have been a

?" growled Goursac. "Who

urse," she answered, l

, the ragamuffin was s

there is no need to let the fore

" the carriage-crier answer

think your thoughts. I am s

the very elevation of her spirits, good luck quickly emptied her basket. Thus freed, she lapsed into the s

e cries redoubled. Without a thought of personal danger, she plunged recklessly down the alley in the direction of the appeals. Under the bulging shadow

rang back against the wall. At the sight of the shriveled-parchm

!" She replaced in her belt the knife she had

h children. Bravo! my brave fellow, you are the victor at last. Wait

to words by her gadding. He shook a lean

e continued mercilessly. "Fickle Cramoisin! There, be off,

mountebank's box on his back and scurried off, the ape on

s, shrinking against the wall. "There, there, ma petite," she said, "there is nothing to cry about.

ll sobbing, s

oned her note of command, and, enveloping her with her arm, said gently: "Come, mon enfant, I promise you there is nothing more to fear. Cramoisin is as much afraid of m

eviè

w o

fte

m but eighteen. One must be gay, that

g, she continued for a while her l

ue Ma

ble! Sin

mon

And I have nev

not ve

the dress over the hips and loosened it at the throat. "You have really a good figure, but you don't know

he ce

night, then; there's room enough

her hand and cove

by her display of gratitude. "What a baby! Y

actly on time. As this was not to her liking, she screened herself in the crowd, seeking Barabant. She found him soon, approaching, still immersed in his projected article a

d found a man, and he turns out a philosopher. Also,

ly: "Well, have you settled the affairs of the nati

e ashamed at the flights of his imagination, an

e to forget

every step the inviting odor of soups and stews, until they arrived at a larg

"A very wise man who has discovered that

ced all the aff

n," Nicole said, with a new

boisterous in his hospitality and his laug

him with evid

you a patriot to

nced a bit

you have brough

Barabant has just arrived, and the first thing he asked

," said Santerre, with a

ded with the self-invited guests of the leader's ready hospitality. They fo

table to table, with ready hand-shakes, to take up the conversation or clink a glass in toasts to the dozen sub

Bonnets

ood Sans-

les T

a Const

Sant

fe to ou

eadway, would gradually run through the noise of the room until, absorbing all other sounds, it ended in a g

ng, narrow forehead of the period, marked with thoughtfulness and curiosity. The nose was high-bridged, the nostrils were sensitive and dilating with emotion. The gray eyes were shrewd, kind, gay, and

of her inspection, "tell me something abo

. I had an uncle who disapproved of my ideas; he showed me the door, I declared his goods con

istocratic; r

myself of the creditor, tho

ut Barabant added, smiling, "It is my s

d. "You are the philosopher." Persisting in her inqu

too. And now no more questions,

ielding to her natural moods, she lifted her eyebrow

mother; that is to say, I had. She is dead

her was a sergeant of the line, so they tell me." She threw out the palms of her hands.

regarding her more closely. "Y

d grimly. "When I came in late she beat me,-oh, but solidly, firmly." She grimaced and, with the instinct of acting that is

l, h

it over her. Oh, such a beating! I was striking for old scor

derst

a room next

ed his eyebro

ers, raised them again. "When you're rich you can choose; but with us, we take what's nearest. We must have some one to gossip with, to weep with, to laugh

drubbing he had escaped the night before, grinned and nodded

exclaimed, in horror, for she had the popular idea that aristocrats were ogres

beyond a doubt

im?" said Barabant.

is party, and don't believe any one else does. He is here and there, with the patriots one moment and the court the next; but whether he is acting for one

nd made a sign to him to follow. In the front room she stopped before a vat on which, his h

for to-

ected not to u

amiliarity of the day, "do you want me to cry it

ill ever be." He sank his voice. "The lead

mble by

rre n

half satisfie

onjecture, kept his counsel; but Nicole, appro

ries. But every one hangs back. The

nk of the National Gua

ional Guard, indeed! We are the National G

to time to watch the water-carriers filling their casks in the riv

the fresh cheeks and the free carriage of his companion, more and more beguiled from his task of righting the wro

divined the workings of his mind. She withdrew slightly and said repr

defende

ense. I have done nothing but wish. Judg

," said Nicole, amused. "There, take my

went joyfully through Paris, laugh

good fellow." Once she added na?vely, "You know, all the same

cafés, Feuillantes or Jacobin. They were constantly halted by the sudden assembly of a cro

do you not feel something in the a

in the crowd, and it seemed to him that there was some subtle co

l be for to-night

and something ne

taking of the Bas

s in recollection. Then suddenly she added: "But you haven't seen the gardens of the Pa

he chestnut-tree surrounded by a crowd of curious seek

and one orators about whom swirled a hundred and one eddies. Newsboys, racing ahead of their competitors, cried hoarsely the latest bulletins; while in their wake improvised orators mounted on tables and announced the n

Barabant, surprised at th

ul. We go everywhere, see everything. We are the scouts of the Republic. I have influence, Bar

ve do

dore fire and spirit!" She looked at him critically. "You have t

gaiety and daring of this gamine, passed swiftly into his soul. Filled with the bombastic daring and sublime

, restraining her enthusiasm, she contented h

you?" she ask

," Barabant said,

ou are

smoulins is

ru

t is six

n there is not much unlearned. Allons, les enfants." She drew up to his side, hang

dent in herself: she was young and she was a Parisian. Her features were rather saucy than regular; her figure, though full and graceful, was perhaps too perfect for eighteen, when a certain slenderness is a future guaranty. But the

h delightful, had become embarrassing, exclaimed, "There's Louison now.

starting eyes, and the curious, thin smile of the

ips, and then perceiving Barabant, she acco

!" Nodding, she passed, with the exclamat

Nicole exclaimed, disengaging her

St. Honoré,

Nicole's forehead. She stopped, extended her

oked at her

ppened? What

nd without further ex